A Bristol motor-vehicle accident in which an alleged intoxicated motorist's vehicle struck a utility pole, knocking it down, caused area homes and businesses to lose power early Friday morning.

As a result of the damage to the pole, which did not have a transformer box on it, power outages extended beyond the immediate area to as far west as King Street, police said.
Traffic Lt. Kevin Morrell said the accident occurred shortly after midnight Friday, when the vehicle Celine P. Ratte, 27, of Unionville was driving northbound on Stafford Avenue veered off the right side of the road and struck the utility pole, snapping it at the base.
Responding officers determined that Ratte, who according to reports was the sole occupant of the vehicle and did not complain of injuries, was allegedly DUI or intoxicated at the time of the accident.
Though the utility pole did not fall across the roadway, police had to close Stafford Avenue between Bel Air Road and Jewell Street until CL&P crews could repair the damaged pole.
About an hour later, according to Morrell, Jeffrey Cameron, 29, of 65 Mark St. attempted to make his own detour around the scene by driving his vehicle off the side of the road and up onto the curb and sidewalk lining that area of Stafford Avenue. He then drove around the police cruiser and traffic cones set up to block the road.
The officer on scene at the time was able to stop Cameron, and after determining that he too was intoxicated, arrested him for DUI.